Chapter 37 Summary and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

On the morning of her father's funeral, Maddie arrives at the family home to find it already crowded with relatives and members of her mother's church. Everyone is dressed in black mourning clothes, and Maddie is immediately enveloped in condolences and hugs. She escapes upstairs to her mother's bedroom, where her mother is getting ready. Her mother reminds her that family members, especially spouses, don't wear jewelry on the burial day, so Maddie removes her earrings.

While alone in the room, Maddie studies her reflection in her first mourning dress—a stiff black garment with geometric patterns—and recalls a family photograph taken fourteen years earlier. In her memory, her mother had insisted on a professional photo session at a department store in Tooting, but her father had declined to participate. The resulting photos only included Maddie, her mother, and James. Maddie wishes she could go back in time and convince her father to join them.

Her mother calls that the hearse has arrived. Looking out the window, Maddie sees her father's coffin surrounded by flowers, with one arrangement spelling out DAD. Overwhelmed, she fantasizes about running away to Brighton, but her mother finds her crying and gently insists she come outside to pay her respects, telling her it's tradition to cry near the coffin.

Outside, Maddie faces a stream of mourners offering condolences. She encounters Aunt Abena, a cousin of her father's, who challenges Maddie for responding in English to a Twi greeting. Aunt Abena insists Maddie speak Twi on the day of her father's funeral, and after some prompting, Maddie manages to say a few phrases correctly, earning Aunt Abena's approval. This moment makes Maddie realize that the language she thought she'd never learned has been embedded in her all along, and she begins listening to her relatives' conversations, translating and storing words she might need.

The family travels in a procession to the cemetery. Maddie rides in a car with a family friend, and each time the hearse turns a corner, she sees the large framed photograph of her father and the tears return. At the graveside, the pastor leads a prayer, and tributes are read celebrating George Wright's intelligence, hard work, and faith. Maddie struggles to begin her eulogy, but with her mother's encouragement, she speaks about her father's smile, his growing love for his children, and how his example taught her that it's never too late to become the person you're meant to be. She describes love as pieces of a heart, and her father holds one of the biggest pieces she'll ever give.

After the burial, James apologizes to Maddie for never being there, acknowledging the burden she carried alone. He tells her he's thankful for her, that their father loved her, and that he loves her too. Maddie, moved, tells him she loves him back.

Later that evening, Auntie Mabel calls to reassure Maddie that her father was grateful for her care. In the kitchen, Maddie's mother apologizes for not being present more, admitting her own failures as a parent. She tells Maddie she's special and selfless, and the two share a vulnerable moment, standing together at the sink. Her mother also reveals she knows about Maddie's therapy and, after some initial hesitation, expresses support for it, even asking about Maddie's therapist, Angelina. The two converse in Twi, with her mother correcting Maddie's pronunciation, and they share a lighter moment when her mother asks when Maddie will marry.

Back at her flat, Maddie sits on the floor and speaks to her father in heaven, telling him about her life, her guilt, and her relief that he's no longer in pain. She asks him to visit her in dreams and tells him she loves him. That night, she has a nightmare in which she frantically digs up his grave, trying to save him, until she wakes in distress. She texts Nia, who checks on her, and then googles the stages of grief, mapping her own experience against them.

Key Events

Maddie arrives at the family home on the day of her father's funeral and is surrounded by relatives and church members.
Her mother instructs her not to wear jewelry, and Maddie removes her earrings.
Maddie recalls a family photo session from fourteen years ago, in which her father declined to participate.
The hearse arrives with a coffin and flowers spelling DAD, triggering Maddie's escape fantasy.
Aunt Abena challenges Maddie to speak Twi, and Maddie manages a few phrases, earning approval.
The family travels to the cemetery, where the burial takes place with prayers and tributes.
Maddie delivers a eulogy about her father's smile and love.
James apologizes for his absence and tells Maddie he loves her.
Auntie Mabel calls to reassure Maddie about her father's gratitude.
Maddie and her mother share a vulnerable conversation in the kitchen, where her mother apologizes and they speak in Twi.
Maddie returns to her flat and speaks to her father in heaven.
Maddie has a nightmare about digging up her father's grave.
She texts Nia and googles the stages of grief.

Character Development

Maddie is at the emotional center of this chapter, moving through the funeral with a mixture of grief, guilt, and reluctant acceptance. Her escape fantasy reveals her desire to flee from overwhelming pain, but her mother's insistence pulls her back to the reality of the day. Maddie's eulogy shows her growth in articulating her love for her father, even as she struggles with the complexity of her feelings. Her conversation with James allows her to receive acknowledgment for the care she gave, and her kitchen scene with her mother shows her capacity for forgiveness and connection. Her one-sided conversation with her father in heaven demonstrates her need to maintain a relationship with him, even after death, and her nightmare reveals the subconscious weight of her guilt.

James undergoes a significant shift in this chapter. His apology to Maddie is heartfelt and specific, acknowledging the burden she carried and his own failures. He admits he never thought to check up on her and expresses regret for missing his chances with their father. His declaration of love marks a turning point in their relationship, as he commits to being more present for her in the future.

Mum shows a rare moment of vulnerability in the kitchen scene. She admits her failures as a parent, apologizes for her absence, and acknowledges Maddie's selflessness. Her willingness to speak in Twi and correct Maddie's pronunciation creates a moment of connection, and her acceptance of Maddie's therapy, albeit with conditions, shows a softening of her earlier stance.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Grief and Mourning Rituals: The chapter is steeped in the rituals of death—the mourning dress, the prohibition on jewelry, the hearse, the burial, and the tributes. These rituals provide structure for the family's grief, even as Maddie struggles to find her place within them.

Language as Identity: Aunt Abena's insistence that Maddie speak Twi at her father's funeral highlights the connection between language and cultural identity. Maddie's realization that the language is embedded in her, even if she never formally learned it, speaks to the deep roots of heritage.

Mother-Daughter Relationship: The kitchen scene between Maddie and her mother is a pivotal moment of reconciliation. Her mother's apology and vulnerability, and Maddie's willingness to accept it, show the complexity and potential for healing in their relationship.

Guilt and Relief: Maddie's conversation with her father in heaven reveals her conflicting feelings—she is relieved he is no longer in pain, but she also feels guilty for that relief. This tension is a central emotional thread of the chapter.

Grave Symbolism: The grave, and Maddie's nightmare of digging it up, symbolizes her struggle to let go of her father and her guilt over not being able to save him. The act of burying him is both literal and metaphorical, as she must come to terms with his death.

Communication with the Dead: Maddie's one-sided conversation with her father in heaven is a way for her to continue their relationship and process her grief. It also reflects her desire for answers and connection beyond death.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is the emotional climax of Maddie's grief journey. It brings together the major relationships in her life—her mother, her brother, and her extended family—and forces her to confront her feelings of guilt, relief, and love. The funeral serves as a rite of passage, marking the end of one phase of her life and the beginning of another. Maddie's eulogy, her conversation with James, and her vulnerable moment with her mother all contribute to her growth and healing. The chapter also sets up her ongoing process of mourning, as she begins to speak to her father in heaven and seeks to understand her grief through the stages of grief model.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Aunt Abena insist that Maddie speak Twi at the funeral, and what does this moment reveal about Maddie's relationship to her cultural identity?

Aunt Abena insists that Maddie speak Twi because she believes the day of her father's funeral is no day to speak English—it is a day to honor his heritage and the language he was born into. This moment reveals that Maddie has felt disconnected from her cultural identity, mourning the fact that she never learned Twi. However, when she manages to speak a few phrases, she realizes the language is already embedded in her, suggesting that her cultural identity is more present than she thought.

2. How does James's apology at the cemetery change the dynamic between him and Maddie?

James's apology is significant because he acknowledges the burden Maddie carried alone, admits his own failures, and expresses gratitude for her care. He tells her he loves her, which is a rare and meaningful declaration. This moment marks a turning point in their relationship, as James commits to being more present and supportive in the future, and Maddie is able to accept his love and acknowledgment.

3. What does Maddie's nightmare about digging up her father's grave reveal about her emotional state?

Maddie's nightmare reveals her deep-seated guilt and her subconscious desire to save her father. In the dream, she frantically digs up his grave, desperate to rescue him, which reflects her ongoing struggle to accept his death and her feelings of helplessness. The nightmare also highlights her fear that she didn't do enough for him, even though she dedicated years to his care. It shows that her grief is not fully processed and that she is still grappling with the emotional weight of his loss.